The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1887-03-08
BITING A FILE"

Under The above caption, on Sunday,
the Tribune reproduced a number of
extracts from eastern newspapers con
lcerning The EdmunGs.T 1cker. Dill. One
of these was from the Springfield
l(Mass.) Republican. We reprint the
excerpt here:
The exultatien of the Mormon press is at
best a relief that things are not worse.
Added to this is the possibility that the
MormOns viii take the test oath as mere
matter of form, and thus retain control of
the Legislature. his oath requires all
voters 10 swear that they will obey the laws,
especially the anti-pOlygamy laws, and to
support the United States Constitution.
This is just what pOlygamists are refusing to
do every day in Utah, preferring to pass d
| few months in the Penitentiary to disoWn-
ing an important article of faith. The
DeSeret Ne1Cs asks: "If MoTmous should
conclude to take the test oath and vote
| after all, where would be found anticipa-
tiOns of the repentant bummers?'" Upon
| sober second thought the eXultatiOn among
the MormOns will be changed to grief
| There is such thing as moral force even
| in region of dense ignorance, and it is
something to force the Mormon pOpulace
into position where they must either
abandon polygamy or perjure themselves
in order to retain the electiV fran chise. In
| spite of the Wanted compactness of the
| Church organization, il cannot long stand
upon confessed lie duly sealed and sworn
to.
We print this merely for the purpose
of introducing another extract from the
editorial columns OF the same news
paper. On February %, few days be-
fore the article quoted above appeared
in thepaper mentioned, the Republican
contained column leader on this same
Edmunds-Tucker bill, under the head
ing of Mistaken Dealings with Nor
monism," portion of which article we
reproduce below. The best comment
that can be made will be furnished by
reading the two and re1ecting.that they
were written BY the same hand, and ap-
peared in the same newspaperSwithin al
week of each other. People will ma
turally ask if any respect or CON
sideration ought to. be given to the
writings of an editor who so soon for
gets the position he has assumed on |
any subject, and who changes his views |
with the change of the wind? Here is
what the Republican editor wrote on |
February 25:
The conference report on the anti Mormon |
bill has been passed by Congress, and will |
doubtless receive the Presidents signature, |
| n that event the struggle for responsibility |
IN Utah and the surrounding Territory will |
enter upon new stage. The Gentle por-
ton of the community can afford TO he
candid IN future endeavors to push polyg-
amy to the wall. The Legislature of Arizona
llstranchlSed all voters who refused to take
IN oath that they were not members of the
Mormon church. The law has since been
and now Nevada, it seems, has
set out upon the same course, the resolution
constitutional amendment i'm
posing such test oath having been adOnted
)y the Legislature with but three negative
votes. Idaho insists upon the same test
md with the TucEer-Edmunds bill law it
would be within the possibilities that Utah
tself would follow suit. Nevertheless, the
ule is a very vicious one. The theory is
hat the Mormon church is an organization
thoroughly disloyal to Federal authorize.
{ undoubtedly is, but to attack it in this
manner makes religious belief the basis
If repressive action. 1t may be misfortune
!" man to believe that if heis sealed 10 |
number of women in constructive mar
iage he will be suffused with all the more 6
,lOry when he reaches the celestial planes
,ut 1t does OF follow that be by this creed |
DISTINGUISHES himself. Only about per
INT. OF the MormonS practice polygamy, but
o per CEN. defend it. A Mormon was re
emily TT ed for unlawful cohabitation. Int Y
appeared upon the trial that his
nperhuouS marriages were with women al
eady dead, and that these posthumous al I
ianceS were merely due to religious form
will be very unwse to follow up these de- I
lded people with a sharp stick. when there t
5 enough work in hand to suppress rank
Even the struggle with con
essed Offenders IN l'ah is attended with n
GERS armed with warrants make L =
lciting incursions into all manner of \
Greats. This, of course, cannot well no b
voided. At the same time there is no ex- t
4urch property. Word was brought to the 2
nited States Marshal, fortnight ago. that -
gorge Q. Cannon, who had jumped his u
all, was hiding in the church buildings u
bout Tithing-house Square, and a raiding a
arty was Immediately organized. Whe1
lie officers entered the Tithing-house ward,
so OF the men were smoking, and the
oment protests were entered by the Church
PENDANTS, cigars appeared in the mouths Y
all the deputies. The party searched the ~
'rdo house, Lion House, Tithing Estab- N
Shment and Historians Office without suc- p
'ss, and then they raided the famous En- e.
)wment House, about which so much has \
zen written and so little known. t
Here follows an account of the search G.
ON the Tri5une.] h
This sort OF thing may do the cause Of p
orahty ana law good, but we doubr il very CT
uch. If this report is a fair specimen IL II
e Gentle sentiment toward polvgauly lit Is
2 will be accomplished. It is mere rowdv - :,
urrility, and without Justification as il IS =,
ithout dignity. The nation wants an exc q
iIlon OF the lsw. not blsckguardism flung RI
men of eccentric religious belief. ty
It may be remarked that the above a.
rs not copied into the Tribune, which D
inted the other Republican, editorial. B
II